Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Wednesday publicly broke with Republican leadership on the deepening government shutdown standoff, pressing House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to bring the House back into session.
She warned that GOP inaction could inflict punishing healthcare costs on millions of Americans.
In an exclusive CNN interview, Greene said Republicans are failing to deliver a plan to counteract the collapse of pandemic-era healthcare subsidies, which Democrats argue must be extended now or risk triggering massive premium hikes.
"Everyone's just getting destroyed … Republicans, you have no solutions," she said from her House office.
The flashpoint centers on enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, which were temporarily expanded during the COVID-19 crisis but are set to expire at year's end.
Democrats insist the extension be included in any stopgap measure to reopen the government. Republicans, by contrast, maintain that funding must resume first via a "clean" continuing resolution before policy issues like subsidies are negotiated.
Johnson has pushed back, signaling he won't reconvene the House until Senate Democrats support the GOP's stopgap funding bill — despite internal pressure and a growing public backlash.
But according to Greene, waiting only heightens the risk "for millions and millions of Americans" whose "health insurance premiums are about to skyrocket."
The 24 million Americans currently relying on ACA marketplace coverage could see average out-of-pocket costs surge nearly 79% if subsidies vanish, according to independent analysis.
A Kaiser Family Foundation poll shows that nearly 80% of Americans support extending the enhanced subsidies across party lines.
Greene has repeatedly clashed with GOP leadership since entering the House.
Recently she called for the release of Jeffrey Epstein case files. She also criticized U.S. foreign policy, and broke with her party on issues concerning Israel, Ukraine, and President Donald Trump's advisement.
Pressed about Trump's alignment, Greene said, "I'd never speak on behalf of the president … I support him, but I also work for my district."
She also warned that her constituents will be "crushed" if costs spiral unchecked and criticized GOP efforts to blame Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for the shutdown without attempting to negotiate.
"I think the politics are terrible," Greene said.
"I don't think anyone is sitting at home going, 'Oh, this is great. The Republicans and Democrats have the government shut down, and they're not discussing anything to fix it.'"
"Democrats are saying, 'Continue to grow the debt with ACA tax credits,' and Republicans are just … calling it a Schumer shutdown, so I don't think anybody is winning here, and I think it's failure, and I personally don't like it."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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